#246 May 23rd, 2022 [Kuper Island]

Canada is undergoing a massive reckoning but even if you're here, there's a chance you're missing it.

One year ago, rumour became fact when ground-penetrating radar revealed evidence that 215 children were buried in unmarked graves at the Kamloops Indian Residential School. This was one of the largest schools in the Canadian Indian Residential School system – a network of church-run state-funded boarding schools that operated for over a century in Canada. 

This all occurred on the lands of the Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation and signalled that other Indigenous and First Nations communities could find similar evidence where residential schools were once in operation too.

A few months later in July 2021, the Penelakut First Nation announced that more than 160 unmarked graves had been found on the grounds of the Kuper Island Indian Residential School.

This school – not a prison, a school – gained the nickname "Canada's Alcatraz" because of its remote location and low likelihood of escape. This is where Kuper Island unfolds. The 8-episode report into the history of the Kuper Island Indian Residential School is hosted by Duncan McCue. He stewards listeners through the stories of four students: three who survived and one who didn’t; none of which is easy to take in.

While it isn't easy, it's important. Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission aimed to give voice to those directly or indirectly affected by the Indian Residential School system. The commission may have wrapped up in 2015, but the voices of Indigenous and First Nations peoples will continue to be heard.

Have a listen and let us know what you think.

Former Residential School students can call 1-866-925-4419 for emotional crisis referral services and information on other health supports from the Government of Canada.

Indigenous peoples across Canada can also go to The Hope for Wellness Help Line 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for counselling and crisis intervention. Call the toll-free Help Line at 1-855-242-3310 or connect to the online chat at hopeforwellness.ca.

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